Sylacauga (sil-a-COG-a), known as the Marble City, is built on a foundation of solid marble. This translucent white stone, in some places only 12 feet below the surface, has been used since the 1840s to construct notable buildings, one of which is the U.S. Supreme Court Building in Washington, D.C. Sylacauga's quarries also produce crushed and ground marble.